Torpedo-launching apparatus.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w N V T. MoU. GUNN.

TOEPBDO LAUNGHING APPARATUS.

APPLOATION FILED NOV. 30, v1912.

Patented May 26, 1914.

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I HMMT,

T. MUC. G'UNN.

TORPED LAUNGHNG- APPARATUS.

APPLIATIONTILBD NOV. 30, 1912.

Patented my 26, 19M.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

et a boat in line with a retractable section of l .in a single driving' operation so as to permit pears each time, itis ci?A uti"` Speeeatien ci Letters Patent.

Patented lila En?,

To all whom yit may concern.

lie it known that l, THOMAS ltzioCnnYNn Gunn, a citizen of the United States, resid-` ing at and whose post-odios address is New London, county oiz New London, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Torpedo- Launching vlilpparatus; and l do hereby declare the following to he a fulhcleanand exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled.- in rthe art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

The present invention relates to operating mechanism for clearing the line of lire of a torpedo tube which is arranged lengthwiseiy the hull near the ioow or stern, and more; specifically to apparatus of this kind Wherein the normally closed cap oi the torpedo tube and the normally closed retractable hull 1 section ot the boat are simultaneously opened ot quickly tiring the torpedo contained in the torpedo tube.

'lfhis apparatus lis particularly applicable to submarine boats and the like where it is desirable that the torpedo tubes be mounted within the boat. ln suoli arrangements, it is also desirable that the hull of the boat have iine lines and smooth lines without substantial interruption so as to lend itself to high. speed and rapid diving possibilities inwariiare as well as in runs of duration. And inasmuch as n 'voralole opportunity in warfare for tirnlg torpedoes occurs quickly' and withont much warning, so that deliberate preparation 'for such actuation is found ,rnpossible, and, furthermore, since the :favorable opportunity quickly disapl t ino. rtance to the highest edicieney er that the necessary preparation for t'iimlr?,1 torpedoes be reduced to the simplest operation and to the shortest period required to deliver the lili of these `i5rereepiisites are'nicely attained in the 'arrangeinei'it herein disclosed, whereA there is provided a retractable section. torni'- ing a part ci? the hull in such manner as to give tine lines and. smooth lines thereto, as sociated with o er" nechanism for the retractable ed te retract it from i s normally closed .ion its open posin tion and to simultan sly open the nl'irnially closed cap of the torpedo tube to completely longitudine-l center line ci the heat.

"journaled tor turning, and a toothed @kan the line et ire the torpedo tube aI single driving operation. Usually a plurality of such torpedo tubes are provided or. a boat, and in this ease the simplicity and directness underlying the idea embodied in the'entire arrangement is preserved by providing a separately retractable hull. section for each torpedo tube and by maintaining the operatingmechanism for each torpedo tube separate from each of the others and inm dependently operable.

ln the accompanying drawings, illustrat ing the forward part of a. submarine boat, wherein my improved arrangement is shown with several modified forms oi' construction of the operating devices therefor, Figure l shows the vertical arrangement of the tor pedo tubes, the arrangement being similar on both sides of the boat. Fig. 2 is au enlargedsectional plan on line Q--Q ot Fig. l, showing the operating mechanism for the upper torpedo tubes on the two sides ot the boat; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation, partly broken away, on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing` modified forms of operatingl mechanisms, although it is to he understood that it is proposed to use only one torni et construction throughout any boat, that one depending; upon various conditions existing in the boat.

"`he line lines of the bow of lhe boat adapting it tor speed in runningy and divingare indicated particularly in lpwlieren l indicatesthe rigid parte, and 2 the sepa rately retractable sections, each of which is pivoted at 3 so as to swing inwardly and laterally from the normally closed position l indicated in 'full lines, in which position the smooth hull lines are not substantially interrupted. Directly in longitudinal line with the opening produced upon retractingn `each retractable section and to the side ot' the is rigidly mounted a torpedo tube Llarrai lengthwise of the boat so as to lire sul inf. tially in the direction or' motion. lach o'i'i these torpedo tubes is provided with a cop 5 normally closed over the forward end tlof. ln order to retract any of the re able hull sections 2 and to simultan( open. the cap 5 of the eorrespondii pedo tube d, there is provided an op mechanism comprising a shaft t, s

IJ* Lll gageznent with the worm 8, which is driven ment "I Yfastened on the shaft in driving;

rio

- tending toa connection 11 on the cap 5, and

a collapsible branch comprising a rigid member` 12 having a pivotedV connection at 13 with' a member provided with a turnbuckle'l and a pivoted'connection at 15 with ther'etra'ctable hull section 2. The

connection to the retractable hull section may .comprise one collapsible branch, as shown in the upper part of F ig. 3, or two collapsible branches closely embracing the rigid branch 10, as shown in the lower righthand part of Fig. 3, or widely embracing it as shown in the lower left-hand part of Fig.

3. In all cases the actuation of each operating mechanism is intended to be independent of each of the others, so that any one of the shafts 6 may be turned. to its open position to retract the retractable hull section 2 and simultaneously open the cap 5 of the corresponding torpedo tube' 4, and may thereafter be turned t o its closed position to restore these parts to their'normal positions as shown in the full lines of Fig. 2. The broken lines in Fig. 2 show the position of the parts when the shaft 6 is turned to its open position,'whereupon the line of fire of the corresponding torpedo tube is cleared for the expulsion of the torpedo 16 contained therein, in any suitable way.

' It is intended in all the arrangements shown, that the operating connections beso varranged as to give a powerful leverage on the retractable hull section near its normally closed position, just as would be obtained in the case of a toggle joint. Furthermore,

' tus intended to be when the retractable hull Vsection is complctely, closed,the parts of the cpllapsible operating arm then form a slight angle in such direction that any pressure or blowon the retractable hull section tends to hold the cap in its closed position on the torpedo tube, but without more than a sli ht Dresslure,2as is best indicated by the ful lines in By the arrangement hereinbefore delscribed, the line of fire of each torpedo tube 1s cleared positively and quickly by apparasimple and direct in operatlon, Iwhereby in warfare a favorable opportunity for firing may be quickly availed of without undue preliminary preparation. Furthermore fine hull lines are ,attained `by this arrangement, and in this connection it is'to be understood that my improvements may be similarly applied to the stern of the boat to give fine lines thereat when it is desired to provide for ii-rin torpedoes rearwardly, which is likewise important since it 1s essential to the promotion of speed that this portion of the hull conform to such outline also.

Having thus described my invent1on,what I claim is:-.

1. The combination with a boat having a normally closed laterally retractable hull section near one end and to the side of the longitudinal center line of the hull, and a torpedo tube provided with a normally-closed .cap and mounted entirely within the hull of the boat lengthwise thereof vin ring line with the opening produced in the hull upon retracting the retractable hull section, of operating mechanism for clearing the h ne of fire of the torpedo tube by a single driving operat-ion, comp-rising a driving connection, and positively-connected operatingmechanism driven by the drivinglconnection and connected to both the retractable hull ysection and to the torpedo cap in such mannormally-closed cap and mounted within thev boat lengthwise thereof in firing'line with the opening produced in the hull upon retracting the retractable hull section, of operating mechanismfor clearing the line of lire of the torpedo tube by a single driving operation, comprising a driving connection, an operating connectionextending to the cap of the torpedo tube and actuated by the driving connection, and a collapsible operating connection extending to the retractable hull seetion and actuated by the drivingconnection, the arrangement being suchthat when the retractable hull section is inits normallyclosed position pressure on it is transmitted to the capof the tor edo tube in a direction to hold it to its close position; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a boathaving a normally-closed laterally retractable hull section near one end and to the side of the longitudinal center line of the hull, and a torpedo tube provided with a normally closed cap and mounted entirely within the hull of the boat lengthwise thereof in firing line with the opening produced inthe hull upon retracting the retractable hull section, of operating mechanism for clearing the line of re of the ytorpedo tube by a single driving operation, comprising a -rotatable shaft, means for turning said shaft, an operating connection between the shaft and the cap of the torpedo'tube, andan operating connection between .the shaft and the. retractable hull section, the arrangement being such that by turning said shaft to its open position the retractable hull section is retracted and the cap is simultaneously opened, said retractable hull .section normally conforming to the hull lines of the boat; scribed.

4. 'lhe combination. with a boat having a normally-closed retractable hull section near one end, and a torpedo tube providedwith a normally-closed cap and mounted Within the boat lengthwisethereof ,in ring line with' the opening produced in the hull upon retraeting tlie retract-able hull section, of operating mechanism for clearing the line of fire of the torpedo tube by al single driving operation, eon'iprising a driving gear, a rotatable shaft, a toothed segment fastenedon said shaft in driving engagement with said gear, a lever coupled to said shaft and operatively connected to the torpedo cap, and a collapsible connection coupled to said shaft and operatively connected to the retractable hull section, the arrangement being such that by turning said shaft to its open position the retractable hull section is retracted and the cap is simultaneously openedrvsubstantially as described.

5. The combination with a boat having a normally-closed retractable hull section near one end, 'and a torpedo tube provided with a normally-closed cap and mounted within the boat lengthwise thereof in tiring line with the opening produced in the hull upon retracting the retractable hull section, of operating mechanism for clearing the line of substantially as detire of. the torpedo tube by a single driving operation, comprising a rotatable shaft,

means for turning said shaft, a member coushaft to its open position t-he retractable hull section is retracted and the cap is simultaneously opened; substantially as described.

6. The combination with a boat having a normally-elosed retractable hull section, and a torpedo. tube provided with a normallyclosedeap and mounted in tiring line with the opening produced inthe hull upon re tracting the retractable hull section, of operat-in'g mechanism for clearing the line of {ireo'f the torpedo tube by a-single drivingoperation, comprising a driving connection, a torpedo cap operating connection actuated by t-he driving connection, and a jointed operating connection for the retractable hull section, the arrangement being such that a powerful leverage is produced on the retractable hull sectionwhen near its normally closed position; substantially as described.

In Atestimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS MCCHEYNE GUNN.

AWitnesses:

F. L. BRAKE,

CRD. YOUNG.

Copies ,of this patent nay be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. C. 

